With camaraderie and discussion among the outcomes of early-morning sessions at River Community Church in Dell Rapids of late, participants in the church’s “Men’s Fraternity” program are looking to become leaders in their family and spiritual lives.

Men’s Fraternity, a curriculum written by Robert Lewis, is comprised of three one-year-long studies that include “The Quest for Authentic Manhood” for 24 weeks, “Authentic Manhood: Winning at Work and Home” for 16 weeks and “The Great Adventure” for 20 weeks.

The goal of the curriculum is to aid men in coming together to strengthen each other through biblical teaching and group interactions. This was a goal that RCC pastor Andy Wright thought lined up with the Dell Rapids church’s missions.

“Our church wants to reach more and more people for Christ,” Wright said. “We long to see people develop into healthy disciples of Christ. And we want to help form healthy marriages and families.”

Wright added one of the most important ways to accomplish all this is to help men to know Christ and equip them to be family leaders.

“We were especially excited about hosting a Men’s Fraternity study, because this study helps unpack a lot of emotional baggage that men carry into all their relationships, including their relationship to God,” Wright said. “And if men can use Biblical truths to work through some of their baggage, they’ll be better prepared to relate to their wives and kids in a healthy way.”

The participants meet weekly, starting a 5:45 a.m. with breakfast, followed by a video presentation from Lewis, after which small group conversation occurs, finishing in time for attendees to get off to work.

One participant, Seth Servertson, joined in order to best lead his family.

“Too many men check out of life,” he said. “They disappear into their job or their garage or their hobbies and leave the family to emotionally fend for themselves.

“I don’t want to ever be that way, so I wanted to surround myself with like-minded men and study biblical ‘manhood’ principles.”

The RCC pastor thinks that the program helps men think about their actions and the impact they have on their families, shaping them to be better husbands, dads and grandfathers.

With nearly 20 attendees on board at the local incarnation’s first meeting in September, the group has had a strong turnout in the seven weeks since. “I don’t think anyone has dropped out,” Wright said. “And men are welcome to jump into the middle of the study. We’d love to have more men join our group.”

The curriculum is made up of a three-year program, and based on the success so far, Wright hopes to continue to year two material or continue with year one items once the first one is complete.

As far as a takeaway from the Men’s Fraternity exercise, the Dells pastor hopes participants use Jesus as an example of leadership.

“For men to be the leaders God wants them to be, they need to get spiritually and emotionally healthy,” he said. “And Men’s Fraternity helps with that.”

The program has received Severtson’s recommendation. He appreciates the opportunity to emulate biblical truths and examples.

“It’s easy to become complacent in life and just go through the motions or get lost in things that don’t matter,” he said. “I don’t want to be really good at things that don’t matter. This study is a good reminder and a constant encouragement to lead my family well and be intentional in my relationship with my wife and sons.”

And the takeaways resonated with Wright himself, who said that the way he relates to his own children will shape them emotionally in the future. “Men’s Fraternity has really helped me to think through how my parenting is shaping my own four kids.”